


Phantasm

by InfiniWraith



Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:16:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25402957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InfiniWraith/pseuds/InfiniWraith
Summary: I’m writing this periodically. I do plan to finish it however, so the chapters will come in due time.
Kudos: 1





	Phantasm

**Author's Note:**

> I’m writing this periodically. I do plan to finish it however, so the chapters will come in due time.

As I walked out the door of my office, I was met by a kiss from the breeze that made me shudder. I pulled up my scarf to block at least some of the wind, but to my dismay, I was still chilled. I locked the door to the complex, and started to walk down the street, waiting for a taxi. Continuing down the road I looked around at the small businesses scattered through the tall buildings around me. I slowed my pace and approached the street light, making sure to hit the button on it a minimum of infinity times. I looked up, noticing the absence of clouds in the sky, and frowned, remembering that my plants needed to be watered. The light flashed green, and I started picking up my pace again. I walked a good half a mile or so, thinking that it would be easier to get across the street with less people being awake.

I looked at my phone, wondering if I was too late to lock the doors. Like a flash bang, my phone shot a light so vibrant I actually winced, desperately trying to turn my brightness down. The time read 2:39am. Eh, not too late. Knowing that I would have to research for work later, I decided to grab something, anything to keep myself awake. My thoughts first reached out to energy drinks, which I immediately shot down, knowing that I would “try” it, and not be able to stop. What about just some soda? No, too much sugar, and I’m not that big into carbonation. And as I rounded the corner, I was greeted by the fluorescent lights vibrating off of the stores around me.

There was something about it, the small street filled to the brim with locally owned shops, chain restaurants, and department stores. Maybe it was the lack of cars parked on this street, or the abundance of people walking through for this time of day. Maybe it was the buildings that lined the street, making it the prime subject for both tourists and natives. Some were dark, with nobody inside, but more than half were still illuminated with employees inside. One that caught my attention was a small corner shop at the end of the road, a shop I didn’t recognize. 

It was a cafe, put right at the end of the street to catch both newcomers and passers by. It had a warm light shining through the windows, with a string of lanterns inside. Through the window, I saw a lot of wood. The floor filled with mostly tables and chairs, it had decorations galore, making use of the little space it had. There was a sign inside that read most of the menu items inside, with stunningly good illustrations of dragons sipping some tea. Looking past the menu, I noticed that they had small muffins and bakery items as well, making it a true cafe. My eyes drew back outside to the entrance, basically begging me to come it. I glanced at the almost identical menu outside, noticing that it had the same items, but different drawings. As I walked closer, I looked at my phone once more, just to make sure I had enough time.

The bell rang from just above me as I walked inside, alerting any employees of my presence. The sound of smooth jazz hugged me as I walked in, making sure I knew it was there but not seeking attention. I took a few steps further into the shop, now soaking all the decor in now that I saw from outside. The side that was obscured from the window was also covered with paraphernalia, making it completely full. How had I not noticed this place? It feels so comforting, and yet I hadn’t seen a single person in here.

“I’m literally just vibing bro.” were the words I heard of the figure tumbling out of the back room towards the counter. A short barista came out of the back room with an apron half on and a pencil in her ear. She slowed her pace and came up to the counter. “So, what can I get you?” She said in a hurry. I paused for a second, not sure how to reply as I hadn’t thought about why I had come inside in the first place. “Just a medium mocha, and can I get one of those muffins?” She smiled, and gave me the receipt for my order. I handed her the cash, and she left to warm up the machine. I must be the first costumer, which explains the lack of other people in here. I looked around again, and noticed a second floor to the shop. There were even more chairs and tables, with a small board for advertisements on the wall. There was also a woman hunched over on a table with a drink right by her side who was previously hidden behind a pillar that blocked my view. She seemed to be writing, presumably an school paper by the look of her. My trance was broken when the barista returned. “Here’s your mocha and muffin, do you need anything else?” She said. I spoke as I moved the scarf from my face to around my neck “Just some napkins, thanks.” She turned around abruptly and reached across the stove for some napkins. I started to check my phone again, but stopped, knowing that I’d have enough time. And if I ran out of time, I could just work in here, it seemed like the perfect work environment. I started walking towards the door but stopped, and decided to sit down to work, just for a little. I set down my ‘meal’ and got my computer out of my bag. I unsheathed my notebook hastily, dropping my pencil in the process. Colorful language blared in my mind, but I was able to contain my emotions. A soft “Here ya go” were the words coming from somebody who finally revealed themselves. I looked up from my awkward position on the floor and reached for the pencil. The somebody was a girl, and from the looks of it, the same woman I had noticed when I came in the door. She had long blonde hair that reached her shoulders, and glasses that fit her face perfectly. Despite her wearing a hoodie, she was still brandishing her nametag, making it so I could thank this kind stranger. But my thankfulness turned to confusion when I looked and realized that it had one word on it, “Womp.” I decided that it must be foreign, as I didn’t know what the hell that meant.

She must’ve notice I was taken aback, because the next thing she said was “Oh don’t mind that, my names Rachel.” Rachel, huh? She seemed offputtingly nice for somebody who lived in Manhattan. Usually the people in stores I tend to meet either don’t talk to me at all, or are hostile and I tend to avoid them. But she was different, and I could tell she was going to walk away if I didn’t say anything. “I was wondering if I was the only one.” I said, turning my bag to reveal a word that was sewn onto the handle. The embroidery read ‘Poyo.’ Unsure of how to explain that, I simply responded with “I’m Gabriel.” She looked surprised, not in a bad way, just surprised. I glanced over at what she was writing at her table, and was surprised myself when I saw that she wasn’t writing, but rather drawing. And what she was drawing was very similar to the art on the menus. I was about to ask her if she was the artist, when she asked one of her own.

“Are you that investigator? The one who’s been looking into the bio labs in china and how they could have weaponized viruses?” She said, taking me by surprise. I hesitated, as almost nobody had recognized me in my whole career, but still was pleasantly surprised to hear that she knew my work. I was only able to process that information after I had stopped talking in tandem with her. Realizing that I cut her off, I apologized, only to receive an apology myself. Next thing I know is that we were laughing more than we probably should have been. She cut from the laughter and said “You first.” So I repeated my question, “Are you that artist who drew the dragons on those signs?” And was met with both a grin and reaffirmation. “Yes I am, do you like them?” “Of course I do, they look astounding. And yes I am ‘that’ investigator.” I responded. She looked around and gestured with her hands. “So what brings you here?” She said, lowering her voice minimally.

I thought for a minute, not sure how to answer. “I guess I just kind of came here out of boredom, needed something to get me going so that I could work today.” She frowned, as if that wasn’t the answer she was expecting. “That’s not a bad thing! I think that the lights caught my attention so it made me stop.” She stopped frowning, and thought for a second, then, as if a lightbulb appeared above her head, she rushed back to her desk and grabbed her pencil. She started scribbling furiously, as if her life depended on it, but somehow not rushing. I walked over, and tried to sneak a peek at her art. It was a lamp post, illuminated by the bulb at the top, but covered in what looked like paper, giving it a paper maché vibe. The papers were too small to make out from my vantage point, but they covered it in a chic sort of pattern, like Russian or Chinese architecture would cover walls in alleys or villages. Almost as soon as I thought she was done, I watched as she started hatching all across the paper, mimicking rain. Something about the way she did it was calming, unlike the very storm she was depicting.

I gazed in wonder, astonished that she could draw with such detail in such a small amount of time. She sat up straight to admire her work, and noticed me standing next to her. “Do you think it looks good..?” She asked with a serious expression on her face. Without hesitation, I replied with “Holy shit that looks real.” She laughed with a glow of satisfaction on her face, putting her pencil down and closing her book.

The book she had looked like it had been used, a lot. It was worn, and had a metal clasp slightly off center to the middle of the book. It was covered in leather, with a small hem on the edge that looked like it was golden ribbon. On the front cover was a symbol, that I can only describe as ‘ethereal’. It was what looked like a small nebula in a globe shape, with stars and moons dotted on it throughout the entire symbol. But then it started to move. Like the planets were shifting, and the stars had a trajectory. I blinked, and they were static again. Rachel put her sketch book into her duffel bag, and looked up at me again. 

“So if the lights caught your attention, what’s making you stay? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you here before.” She said, looking at me with a curious eye. I reached for an answer, but wasn’t able to grab anything. “I feel like there’s something beneath all the lights and sounds of something, so I decided to check it out. Maybe its just curiosity, I’m not completely sure. What about you? Any reason for coming here in particular?” She nodded, and began to speak again.” I found this place ages ago, not really by choice though, it looked so tantalizing. After a while, I started to loiter and draw things here, making the staff super into my drawings. They asked if they could pay me to keep the menus fashionable and I took that chance as soon as my words would let me.”

“That’s impressive, that you got hired without even trying.”

“It just takes practice that’s all. Besides, I’m sure you’ve got something up your sleeves that I don’t know about yet.”

“Nothing in particular, you already know the basics of what I do anyways. Nothing special to be perfectly honest.”

“Nothing special? Being able to know so much about someone without even talking to them is nothing special? You let me know when Private Eye is a normal occupation” She said with a smile.

Lightning flashed outside the window, bringing my attention back to working. I could tell I had no poker face, because as soon as I thought about that she broke the silence again. “You look really tired, are you sure your work cant wait until morning?” She said, a look of care flashing through her pale blue eyes. I looked back at my phone, waiting for it to flash the time again. But I knew that I was going to leave, regardless of the time, I was simply looking for excuses to stay. “I’m sure it can, I just know that if I don’t, its going to bug me. Besides, its not a lot of work. Just some worrying wife who thinks her husband is cheating on her.” I said. She shot me a look. I quickly said “He’s just working on their anniversary gift with some co workers on a ‘business trip’. I just have to stall her until he’s ready.” Her face relaxed, reassured by my words.

I picked up my bag, and grabbed my half full drink, and walked over to the door, still looking for and excuse not to leave. The place had me hooked the instant I arrived. The soft atmosphere, the friendly service, the honestly great food and coffee, it made me feel like this was where I was supposed to be. I wrapped my scarf around my neck, and walked out the door. 

The cold hit me like a train, making me remember that it was November, and it wasn’t playing around. I turned left and started walking towards my apartment, bracing myself against the wind. I slowed my pace as I got closer to the intersection, and put out my hand instinctively for the crosswalk button. My hand was greeted by an unfamiliar texture, and a sound of ruffling paper. I glanced at the light pole for a brief second, but did a double take when I saw a missing poster plastered on it. It was for a girl, couldn’t have been over 16, with long blonde hair. I looked away for a second, attempting to look at the time again. In the reflection of my phone, I could see that the same poster was all over the sign like a bees nest. Somebody really wanted this girl found.

The light flashed green and I was finally able to look away from the post. I should look into that, maybe see if I can find her. Although I didn’t see a number on the sign, so it might be a little harder to get that done. I walked along the sidewalk for some time, thinking about that potential case, and the one I already had. I approached my complex’s doors, shivering from the cold wet dark place that was outside. I got in and took off my jacket, thinking that that storm had picked up way faster than I thought. I went on the elevator and started to ascend, my main focus on getting some sleep.

The doors to the elevator slid open, beckoning me to my apartment, only to travel back down to the lobby for another person to use. I opened my door, and entered my apartment slowly, as to not wake up either of my neighbors. I hit the lights, and dimmed them to a yellow haze. My room buzzed with LofI Hip-Hop, welcoming me to sleep for longer than I ever had. I bent down to pet the small furry monster that had appeared at my feet. I picked her up and got the cat some food, trying not to fall asleep all the while. I wandered to my room, only to stop for a second and admire the glorious sleeping throne in front of me. I stripped down and threw on some sweat pants, debating weather or not to put my contacts away. But instead of sleeping like my room had promised me, I instead lay awake on my bed, not able to shut my mind off. My body might’ve been in bed, but my mind was still in that cafe. I drifted off to sleep, wanting to go back just for another five minutes, but not fully knowing why.

_________________________________________

Leaves rustle as I brush them with my hand. Twigs snap as I lightly tred on the path in front of me. Sunlight beams through the pockets of sky around the trees towering above me. I looked ahead, squinting from the light, and saw another curve in the road. A low hum whispers in my ears, emanating from an unknown source. I continue on the path, hurried to reach my destination in time. The hum grows, seemingly getting closer to my location. I look behind me, searching for any predators, but come back empty handed. Before i can turn around, the cold sensation of a barrel is pushed against my head. The hum stops growing, and instead is harmonized with a whistle matching its pitch. Sweat rolls down my forehead as i try to think of a plan. Against the back of the trees in front of me, i see a red light begin to form, its growth matched with that of the whistle. My head throbs from the hum, begging for it to stop at any cost. “It’s a shame really.” Was the only thing i was able to hear before the whistle reached its peak. The light grew rapidly, almost as if it was going to exp-

I awoke in a cold sweat, jerking upright uncontrollably. My head throbs with the force of a panzer, rhythmically stabbing my insides. I rose my shaking hands up to my skull, feeling the back of it for anything unusual. Nothing, just a normal head. I flashed back to my dream, or nightmare rather, searching for answers. Details flashed in and out of existence, my memory of the occurrence getting progressively more and more hazy.  
I swung my legs to the side of the bed, trying to piece together what I could. I got up slowly, as to not pass out, walking slowly towards the washroom. I looked in the mirror, getting a good look at myself before vomiting violently into the toilet. What happened? I screamed in my head, desperately trying to figure out what had made me become this terrified. The light. I remember the light, and a flash. It was red i think, yeah, red. But why does my head hurt so much? The headache became localized now, moving toward the back of my head.

“Mrowr.”

I tilted my head left, looking for the source of the intruding voice. Bear was in the doorway, yelling at me to fetch her breakfast. “You’re kidding right?” I said melodramatically, glaring at the cats unwelcoming eyes. Another large throb brought me back to my senses, making me want to find the nearest painkiller and overdose. I looked in the cabinet, grabbed the Tylenol, and shoved the correct dosage into my jaw. I swallowed and stood up straight, holding myself back from taking more. I walked out of the bathroom, and wobbled into the kitchenette, grabbing Bear’s bowl on the way. I awkwardly threw on a shirt, and poured the feline food, leaving it on the floor for her to feast on. I dimmed the lights and threw a bagel into the toaster, shutting the door and stealing a swig from a bottle of whisky. I looked at the clock and groaned. The digital asshole of a time teller read 7:30, reminding me i still have work. I could take a sick day...

I laughed a little harder than i should’ve, sending another throb through my skull. I sat down and pulled out my laptop, looking for the files I’d been working on, making sure they were still there. After clicking through the tabs open on my desktop i saw something that caught my eye.

A new email, from my client. I opened it and read that she was happy to hear about her husbands return that day, and that she wouldn’t let him leave again without telling her the subject of it. I smiled, knowing that the gift her husband had would make up for the anxiety she was experiencing in the moment. I shot her a short message, with instructions on how to deal with him if he were to back out of their relationship. A few reassuring sentences later, the email was sent, and my work was done.

I rubbed my head, running my hand through my hair, trying to relieve the pain at least a little. The oven clicked, signaling that the bagel was done. “Oh fuck yeah, bagels.” I walked over to the cabinet, planning on making some herbal tea to aid my goddamned head. Empty. I’m not sure why i didn’t already know that, seeing as how the world already hates me right now. I glanced out the window and saw the dozens of cars lined up at the stoplight, waiting for their turn to leave. Guess that means I’m walking again. I inhaled the bagel, dropping too many crumbs in the process. Bear looked at me as i was walking past, and uttered a growl of disgust. My phone buzzed on the counter that i just walked past, yelling at me to check my messages.

I ignored it and headed for my closet. I threw on the jeans I had just washed, and a faded grey shirt. I debated weather to grab a hat or not, but felt as though it would only make my headache worse. I left, but not before grabbing a scarf from the cabinet. I looked at my phone as I walked back to the kitchen, moving past the now 6 messages i had from my contacts. I looked at the weather, and was greeted with a pleasing 53 degrees Fahrenheit. I got another message that finally made me look at the previous ones as well.

Noel: cmon pick up alreadyyy

Me: jfc what

Noel: finally wow  
you are so hard to get a hold of you know that?

Me: tell me something I don’t know.  
what’s up?

Noel: where are you? you said we’d meet up this morning

Me: fuck sorry, I had work stuff to deal with. do you feel like waiting?

Noel: hell no im hungy. we can meet up tomorrow though. 

Me: >:l

Noel: you had your chance

I sighed heavily, thankful that i dodged a bullet with that one. I tucked my phone away in my pocket, slid into my hoodie and left the apartment. Bear brushed up against my leg as I left, finally happy to be rid of me. I walked along the hallway not able to push what happened this morning out of my mind. I shook it off, and told myself it was just a dream and waked forward ready to face the day. I put on my headphones and clutched my bag strap, gulping down the pain into nonexistence. The elevator slid down the levels, stopping slowly at the lobby, waiting for me to get off.

Walking out the doors, I was greeted to a blast of cold air, and a smack in the face by wind. I slowly regained my composure and strolled down the street, attempting to ignore other people and just get to work. I remembered being out of tea, and decided to stop somewhere to get some before I spent the day doing research. I turned the corner and was greeted by a familiar sight. The Cafe. Why didn’t i think of this sooner? I thought to myself. I opened the door and walked inside, taking in the scenery once again. This time, some uplifting electronic music was playing softly through the speakers, making it feel right at home.

The barista was there this time, at the counter, but was absentmindedly scrolling through her phone. She glanced up at me, and stared. I looked away, quickly, and studied the menu. I hadn’t realized, but the items on the menu, tea especially, were more exotic than I had once thought. On it were spices from the Caribbean, some from east Asia, even more from Maui.

“Back so soon?” Said the figure in the corner. I flinched, unaware there was another person in the cafe. I turned quickly, but was met with a familiar face. “Not that that’s a bad thing of course,” Rachel said hurriedly. “A returning costumer is still a costumer.” I smiled, glad to have been welcomed back instead of judged. “Eh, i just ran out of tea at home. Needed a pick-me-up. Would you recommend anything?” She thought for a moment, visually scrolling through the items on the menu. “Either the chamomile or hibiscus blend. They’re both really good for headaches.” She said with a wink. I stood dumbfounded. Was I that easy to read? “Wow, it shows huh?” I said with a smile. “Yeah. But it looks like you had a rough night too. Didn’t get much sleep?”

I didn’t respond.

“I see.” She remarked. “I’d recommend something caffeinated, but the tea will help with the pain more.” The barista came back to the counter and set my order down, announcing it to the room. I walked to the desk and grabbed it, all while thinking about the dream. “You know its funny, I didn’t even realize I was tired until you said anything, the headache was the only prominent thing.” “Well then hopefully that drink will help. Its the least i can do really.” She said, fidgeting with her glasses. “Is it a sinus headache? Maybe a hangover..?” I laughed, “No I’m not hungover. Just had a really bad dream. I don’t really remember the details but-“

Like a bullet, the dream hit me. I could remember everything. From the number of trees to the branches on the ground. But something was off. Something important. I couldn’t remember how it ended. Just dreaming, then awake. I ran over the events in my head again, now that i could remember clearly, not giving it a second thought on why i could remember. I was walking, then i checked behind me, but then something pressed on the back of my head... there was a flash and-

“Sounds like a nightmare,” She said, catching my attention. “Do you remember any of it?” I stared at her, as if she had said something insane. “Actually yes, i do... something about a forest. I was walking along a path in a forest, but something came up behind me.” I fumbled over my words, as my memory became less and less clear. “It was a barrel, a barrel to something... and there was this humming... and a whistle too, it wouldn’t stop getting louder... then the thing behind me said”

“It’s a shame really.”Rachel finished.

“Yes actually. Wait, how did-“

She grew pale. She realigned her glasses and grabbed my arm. She led me behind the counter, brushing past the barista and opening a door that was previously hidden. “This isn’t normal. At least, it shouldn’t be normal.” She said coldly, still dragging me though the hallway. She snatched up her bag from a table and pulled me through another door, revealing a workshop-esq shack underground. There were papers everywhere, some half drawn on, some ripped in half. There were drawers everywhere, as well as several canvas stands in the corner of the room. She set down her bag and pulled out her sketch book. “Okay, what is happening? First you finish my sentence like you know what happened, next thing i know you’re dragging me through the back rooms of a cafe.” I said, breaking free of her grasp. “You’re special. You’re really special. And apparently oblivious.” She stared down at her sketchbook, flipping through the pages. In an instant, she flung her arm out straight, moving her sleeve back so she could draw better. She took a pencil and found a fresh page. 

“This isn’t easy to explain so ill just demonstrate.” She started to draw furiously, her eyes darting back and forth on the page. She moved her offhand only to brush her blonde hair out of her eyes, making her picture more clear so she could draw better. It was a knife, specifically a dagger, a clean blade with a genuine leather handle. It looked so real, I couldn’t believe her talent. Suddenly, she stopped, her hand finally visible after moving so fast. Next thing I know she clasped the book shut and held out her hand. At first, nothing happened, but after a second a faint light was noticeable above her palm. A sort of ethereal light, swerving in and out of existence, stuck in a limbo state. She clenched her fingers, as if to draw something out, and the light exploded. I shielded my eyes, but the damage had already been done. I was blinded for a moment, but regained sight quickly.

In her hand she had an object, a real object, like something that had physical mass and volume. It was the knife.

“Gabriel that wasn’t a dream, that was a vision. This is going to sound unreal but there isn’t a way I can put this lightly.” She looked at me with a hint of desperation in her voice. She tensed her hand, and crushed the knife. It crumpled like paper, and exploded in light yet again. Shards of the once real knife flew out in every direction, but vanished as they traveled through the air.

“What you saw...

was your death.”


End file.
